Stuffed, Part I

"Turn your back on the little zucchini for just a few minutes and they grow into baseball bats," said Epicurious recipe review A Cook From NH.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

This growing season there so many summer squash I can barely grate it and freeze it enough before some more finds its way into our kitchen again. Be it from the community garden, a friend's garden, the farmers market, or the local farmer we order produce from, zucchini has aimed its target at me. And like a good cook, I'm up for the challenge.

On the Epicurious website, I found this recipe for Cabbage Stuffed with Beef, Zucchini and Herbs. While all the ingredients sounded like a perfect fit for my crisper drawers, the recipe reviews were something left to be desired.

But I braved it and tweaked this so-called bland recipe into a keeper. At least I feel confident saying that after getting the approval from our gracious neighbors and friends A & J who dedicated their Saturday night as taste testers.

What follows is the very revised version of the recipe from Self magazine using quite a bit of the comments from A Cook from California. I also must thank my mum-in-law Sally for giving her original pigs-in-a-blanket recipe that I used as a foundation.

Note: The baking instructions are clearly for summer. Being this last week Bowling Green only saw temps in the higher 90s, there was NO way I was going to turn on the oven. So I turned to my grill. I baked the cabbage rolls over indirect medium heat for 50 minutes. To get indirect heat on a charcoal grill, place a disposal aluminum pan in the middle of the charcoal tray. Fill the open space around the pan with 2 layers of charcoal. Bake the rolls in another disposable pan. (After cooking you can either recycle the pans or wash them for re-use. It's up to you.)

Hot Pigs in a Couture Summer Wrap (aka Pigs in a Blanket--Summer Style)

Suggested albums while cooking: The Beatles White Album, especially "Piggies" and Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard's One Fast Move Or I'm Gone.  (Thanks, Jenn!)

1 large head of local cabbage
1 medium local zucchini
1 medium local summer squash
1 small local eggplant
1/2 bunch of kale
1 can diced tomatoes (local), drained (reserve juice)
2 medium local onions (red or white or mix)
3 local garlic gloves, minced
1 lb local, grass-fed ground beef
1 T each fresh local basil, parsely, thyme, & oregano
2 T organic olive oil, divided
1 c cooked rice
pinch of cloves
pinch of nutmeg

Sauce:
1 can zesty tomato soup (local) with 1/2 water, mixed well, and all of the herbs with some leftover for sprinkling.

Begin by cooking rice. Use wild grain rice, jasmine, minute brown rice, etc. Whatever you have on hand that floats your boat.

While rice is cooking, blanch cabbage. From the top of the head cut a straight incision that goes through the head (so surgical, I know) but that does not cut away any leaves. Blanch for 5 minutes or until bright green. If inner leaves aren't blanched enough, you can always re-submerge. Of course, you'll have ice cold water on hand to stop the cooking immediately after the head has been blanched. Set aside to drain and cool after ice bath. After cool, half and core cabbage, carefully tearing away leaves. Set leaves aside to dry and drain.

In an large non-stick skillet, brown ground beef with 1 T olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drain. Set Aside.

Saute onions and garlic until soft. Add squash, zucchini, eggplant, diced tomatoes, cloves, and nutmeg with a little of the diced tomato juice (I'm sorry I'm not technical like Cook's Illustrated). Cover and cook until soft. Add kale for last two minutes and cover again.

Stir in meat and cooked rice with veggie mixture.

Trim cabbage leaf veins so they are easier to fold. Be sure not to cut leaves.

Hold a leaf with the core side towards you. Add a bit of meat in its cup. Roll once, then fold in the sides and roll until it's covered. Place seam side down in a pan where the bottom is lightly covered with sauce.

Repeat until cabbage leaves are gone. (Recipe can be doubled and frozen, if you so wish.)

Pour remaining sauce over the rolls before covering with the pan with foil. 

Bake on the grill according to the above note. If baking in the house, preheat the over to 350F and bake for 45-60 minutes.

When done, as the French say, "Mange!"

For dessert, consider homemade brownies! Our friends made-from-scratch their brownies using a recipe from How to Boil Water.  As a brownie fanatic all I can say is that they were AWESOME, especially after they added whipped cream and Baileys to them.

Cheers to a fantastic dinner party!

Fish Fry with Flare

Fish, in general, never used to excite me.

In fact, it usually causes panic, especially when I used to buy it at the grocery store. I never knew if the fish--tilapia, sole, halibut, etc.--had come in contact with shelled seafood, my arch-nemesis that has the power to kill me.

So for many years I just avoided the whole fish situation by not eating it at all, unless it was a McFish sandwich during lent.

Then I married a fisherman. Then I stopped eating fast food. Then I became a returning Catholic.

Now I'm eating fish.

Not just any fish, though. I'm eating fish that FD or his dad or his brother caught--mostly crappies, perch or walleye--at Mosquito Creek Reservoir or in Lake Erie near the Canadian border.

Most times I've left it to FD to prepare and cook the fish. That is until Lent started. As one of my Lenten meditations, I've taken up cooking fish.

And, of course, the best recipe I found fries it. Proclaiming to be a huge fan of fried food doesn't do hot oil and batter justice. Literally, I would eat anything fried--pickles, pizza, twinkles, crickets, roaches. That's how much I love fried food. I try not to eat it often, though. As we all know, it's not the healthiest preparation.

FD makes the most healthy of fish recipes: sauteing fillets in curry powder, baking them in parchment paper, etc. And I find this little piece of buttermilk-battered heaven.

Surely God is proud of my Lenten promise to cook fish.

Or more likely the fool who invented Epicurious is definitely going straight to heaven.

FD and I didn't have the time or ingredients for the pickled onions and peppers or the salsa verde--mostly because I refused to buy the ingredients at the grocery when I know I could make it at the end of the summer with all local ingredients, which would taste WAY better--but we made the Baja Cream, I marinated those little fillets in the buttermilk batter and we fried up in an inch of oil for 4 minutes, kept them warm in the oven, and found ourselves absolutely in love with this Mexican fish fry. (Justin Timberlake and Timberland, how come you couldn't sing about this recipe???)

We made a few adjustments, though. Use flour instead of corn tortillas; they hold up better and taste better. (Yes, we used both to make sure.) Add Cayenne Pepper to the flour for a kick; it's awesome.

Seriously, I force myself to eat fish. With this recipe I devoured, easily and happily, four tacos in one seating plus a few sneak bites of leftover fish before FD did the dishes.

It was sick. It was sickly awesome.

(Note: I use the word sick as a good thing. I didn't get sick from this recipe. In fact, it made my tummy very happy.)

~

Ingredients:

Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeños

• 1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
• 5 whole small jalapeños
• 2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

Baja cream

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
• Pinch of salt

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

• 12 ounces tomatillos,* husked, stemmed, divided
• 4 green onions, white and green parts separated
• 1 jalapeño chile
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

• 1 1/4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice

Fish

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce--Sriracha!!!
• 3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 pounds skinless halibut, sea bass, or striped bass fillets, cut into 1/2x1/2-inch strips (or in our case, walleye, perch, crappies!)
  

• 16 flour tortillas
• 1t Cayenne Pepper
  
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• Vegetable oil (for frying)

• Fresh salsa
• Guacamole

Preparation:

For pickled red onion and jalapeños:
Place onion and jalapeños in heatproof medium bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For baja cream:
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For tomatillo salsa verde:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil roasting pan. Char half of tomatillos, white parts of green onions, and jalapeño directly over gas flame or in broiler. Transfer charred vegetables to prepared roasting pan. Add remaining tomatillos and garlic cloves to pan. Roast until all vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes. Cool.

Stem and seed jalapeño. Place all roasted vegetables, green onion tops, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to push vegetables down into blades several times. Transfer to medium bowl. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired.

For fish:
Mix buttermilk, cilantro, pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish; toss. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil; place in oven to warm. Whisk flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Add enough oil to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Heat oil until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, remove fish from marinade and dredge in flour. Carefully add fish to skillet, cover partially, and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to oven to keep warm.

Set up buffet with all taco fixings, along with fresh salsa and guacamole.

*Green and tomato-like with a papery husk, tomatillos are available in the produce section of some supermarkets and Latin markets.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fish-Taco-Platter-233703#ixzz0gsEL89K

Olympics Pizza Party

In honor of the XXI Olympics we had a pizza party with our good friends J, A, and Babs.

J & A made two delicious pizzas. One with a pesto sauce with mozz and fresh tomatoes, and the other with pizza sauce, fresh peppers and tomatoes. Of course, they homemade the dough; they used wheat and white flours.

FD & I made a pepperoni, salami, blend oyster-crimini-portobello mushrooms, and kalmata olives with pizza sauce. And, of course, we homemade our dough too.

Also, I put together a salad bar of kinds: organic salad mix, cukes, carrots, onions, edible flowers, kalamata olives, and radishes (which I tamed with salt and lemon). I offered two homemade salad dressings: a white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. (Will do a blog post soon with the recipes.)

But the main attraction of the evening was Babs' Ed's Chocolate Cake.

As we know, I suck at baking, but I need to learn to make this cake.

It rocks my world.

Totally.

To the point, I give it a Gold Medal.

BTW, I'm enjoying the Olympics. They rock too.

A Weekend of Cooking, Eating, and Grading

This weekend almost all of my dreams came true.

My all-time favorite poet joined FD and I for brunch at our house. We had bacon, goose, radishes, tomato salad, kale chips, and roasted potatoes. Everything we ate came from Ohio. It was a fantastic little meal, but what made it so fantastic was sharing it with Rachel Zucker. (Thanks, Rachel! I hope we can share another meal together soon!) My only regret: I didn't take any pictures.

[After brunch and before dinner I graded essays.]

For dinner that night, we invited friends over for homemade pizzas: one game pizza and one

pepperoni-onion-mushroom pizza. I served a side salad of bibb lettuce, radishes (clearly, I'm addicted to them), and red onion with the Everyday Food garlic and herb vinaigrette. Again,

great company. My only regret: I didn't take any pictures.

[After dinner I tried grading essays, but that was a futile cause.]

For lunch the next day, my foodie friend Lenz made me Chicken Liver Pate with wine soaked figs, as she promised. I was happy. And I finally remembered to take pictures.

What I loved about the pate was whatever condiment/garnish we added changed the flavor. On its own, the pate was rich, salty, and metallic-y (in a good way). Paired with a radish, the pate took on some heat and the pepperiness of the dish came alive. With yellow mustard, the sweetness moved to the forefront. With a fig, the earthy, gaminess came alive. I loved every bite. And if we hadn't decided to have a 3-course lunch, I would have eaten half the mold pictured above.

Our second course was artichokes with white wine reduction, butter, and Canal Junction's Burr Oak cheese dipping sauce. Lenz boiled the artichokes in salted water for about 45 minutes. In the meantime she made the sauce. We sat down to a feast of leaves and hearts. I was impatient for the third course, so quite frankly, all the peeling wasn't worth it to me. Lenz helped me get the heart, and after that I waited for the main course of game and polenta--my new food addiction.

As a token of appreciation, I'll let Lenz post her own polenta recipe. It's one I'm going to use again and again. As she says, polenta is the grown-up version of Mac 'n' Cheese. I adore it. And this course's was no exception. My only regret was that we didn't bake it right away after serving it. It got hard. I attempted reheating it on the stove later that day with more water and bouillon cubes. It just wasn't the same. Next time I'm baking it right away. Definitely.

Confession: Lenz and I cooked and ate from 11-3. That's food dedication.

[I graded later in the evening--after my wine buzz wore off...]

[The next morning and afternoon I graded like a fiend.]

Sunday was our dear friend Babs' birthday, and I wanted to give her something special. Of course, that gift would be a meal. But not just any meal. A Jamie Oliver meal. If I can't give her the man, I can, at least, give her his food.

For our first course, I served a simple garden salad with mushrooms, radishes, and red onion. Then for dinner I made her the Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie with Puff Pastry Lid with a side of peas with the artichokes' wine, butter, and cheese dipping sauce. I was quite proud of how

everything turned out. (Though, I'm not sure why my pie filling was lighter and less liquidy than Jamie's...I will need to explore this more...) The taste, though, was spot on. It was the perfect birthday/comfort food I could have made for Babs' October birthday, and I think she was quite happy. My only regret: Babs made her own dessert because I suck at baking. And her cream cheese pound cake with pomegranate and cranberry sauce was a perfect ending to a spectacular meal.

[After dinner I could not grade. I was too full. But I finished this morning. Go, me!]

All in all, this was the best weekend I've ever had with grading.

Food does make everything better.

Dinner: Monday Night Walleye & Summer Veggie Gratin

When it comes to improvising, I leave it to FD.

I need a recipe.

He just needs his endless imagination.

Dinner tonight: Maumee River Walleye simply crusted in curry powder and fried served with herbed, stemmed potatoes, and summer vegetable gratin.

This meal was perfect.

(For the summer vegetable gratin, refer to America's Test Kitchen Cooking for 2 2009 for the smaller version without bread crumbs.)

Seriously, what would I do without FD? But what would he do without me? I did make some awesome side dishes.

Friday Night Dinner: Lighter Pasta with Vegetable Sauce

Dinner this past Friday was eventful.

After going to Melt, FD and I weren't all

that hungry until around 8 p.m. when I started making this seemingly easy and light dish from America's Test Kitchen Cooking for 2 2009 issue.

Yes, it was light and tasted fine enough, but I'd make many revisions to it. First, I was use a zucchini, not a patty pan squash. While the patty pans are absolutely pretty and spaced-out with their UFO shapes, they didn't add a lot of flavor to this dish. In fact, we couldn't barely taste them at all. Because I didn't have a red pepper, I used a green one, which after cooking tasted a bit bitter. And I used Malabar Spinach instead of baby arugula because, again, it's what I had on hand, and the Malabar Spinach made the dish a little bitter too. I did sub the carrots with green beans and that worked really well. I really liked this dish, but I would stick to the ingredients a bit more if I make it again.

The one thing I learned from this dish, though, that I will never forget is how to clean a knife cut better. Because I'm a novice cook, my knife skills aren't all that great. Meaning, I cut myself a lot. And when I cut myself I wash out the wound with warm water and soap, pour some rubbing alcohol or peroxide on it, slap a Hello Kitty Band-aid on it, and call it a day. While halving the cherry tomatoes, of course, I cut the tip of my middle finger on my left hand. I did my usual routine, made sure all the food was uncontaminated and the washed the knife and cutting board and got back to work. No big deal. The next morning I took off my Band-Aid to find my finger was red, swollen, tingly, and oozing clear liquid. After a trip to the ER the doc confirmed I had a fingertip infection. The nurse wrapped up my wound to make it look way more serious than it really is. I'm not exactly sure how my finger got infected. I'm thinking it's because I didn't change my bandage after washing dishes...

The perk to all this finger-infection-drama is I like the extra attention, especially from FD who has become the official dishwasher.

Lighter Pasta with Garden Vegetable Sauce

Ingredients:

1 T EVOO

1/2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 in thick

1/2 cup cherry tomaotes, halved

1 carrot, peeled and grated on the large holes of a grater

1 small onion, sliced thin

1/2 medium red pepper, cut into 1/4 in pieces

Table salt

1 1/2 T tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

3/4 c chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1/4 lb rotini pasta

1 1/2 c baby arugula

2 T chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Heat 1 t of oil in 10-in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the zucchini and cook, about 3 min. Add the cherry tomatoes, toss to combine, and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 min. Transfer to large bowl.

Add 1 t more of oil to skillet. Over med. heat wait for oil to shimmer before adding carrot, onion, bell pepper, and 1/8 t salt, cover and cook until veggies soften, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 min.; cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, boil pasta according to box directions. Reserve 1/2 c of cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to the pot.

Add the zucchini/broth mixture, arugula, basil, and 1 t oil to the cooked pasta and gently toss. Cover and let sit 1 min. Season with salt & pepper to taste. And adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved cooking water as desired. Serve, passing the Parm cheese separately.

Revolver: The World's Best 30th Birthday Dinner!

For FD's 30th birthday I wanted to do something really special.

The very rad and ultra-dear-to-my-heart Debi and Michael at Revolver Restaurant made Dan's 30th the best meal of our lives.

I requested Frank Zappa for the revolver and an eight-course meal for our bellies. Michael, Debi, and their team came through with flying colors.

Seriously, if I could I would go back every night for the next year to have that exact same dinner.

I just ate and I'm so hungry just thinking about it after posting these fine pics from the night.

Photos are of the courses I'm still obsessing over. (Too bad Blogger SUCKS at posting pictures; otherwise I would have posted EVERY course. Check out Facebook if you want to see every course.)

Amuse-bouche: cantaloup granita with arugala. Served with Cava.

Heirloom tomato salad with sea salt and balsamic gelato. Served with (and I

quote from our notes) "an Italian varietal we've never heard of before but are in love with."

Tempura-battered zucchini blossom stuffed with zucchini bread, with tomato cinnamon sauce. Served with Sauvignon blanc.

Sweet corn bisque with mascarpone cheese. Served with Chardonnay.

Sweetbreads with creamless corn,

chanterelles, pickled beet, and balasmic black garlic sauce. Served with Riesling. (Hands down the best dish of the night! A mouth orgasm!)

Dickman Farm chicken with crispy skin wafers, potatoes, heirloom beans, olives, and tomato. Served with Cote 'd Rhone.

Foie gras ravioli with shaved leeks, smoked duck breast, and cinnamon. Served with Pinot Noir. (Another mind-blowing dish!)

Aged prime rib with polenta and truffle reduction. Served with Bordeaux. (The best piece of beef I've ever had in my life. And I eat a lot of beef.)

Quatro of ice cream: cherry with bitter chocolate, coffee, blueberry with blueberry jam, and goat cheese with sea salt. Served with Port. (Heaven in my mouth.)

I can't thank Debi and Michael enough for another fantastic meal that was completely perfect. Seriously, I'm considering naming our children after them (if we have kids).

And the whole Revolver team was so completely awesome. Jonah, you're our rock star!

Thank you all for a meal FD and I will obsessing over for years to come.

Revolver, you rock & we love you!

Dinner: Eggplant Parm

I don't normally like to brag.

Fine, if you know me, you know I brag.

And this dish is worth bragging about: Eggplant Parm from the America's Test Kitchen Cooking for 2 2009 magazine.

It was perfect for me and FD. A perfect serving for two.

And it rivaled any restaurant Eggplant Parm.

Who knew I was so awesome? ;)

I firmly believe the tricks to this recipe are:

a.) Follow the instructions on how to make your own sauce. It's perfect for the dish!

b.) Make your own bread crumbs as the recipe instructs.

c.) Layer the eggplant as the recipe directs you to do.

d.) Invest in some good non-stick oven ready cookware. Our Le Creuset is the best cookware investment I have made--ever. And the thought that it will last long enough for my one-day grandchildren to inherit makes me tear up.

For a side we had fresh organic broccoli from our local farmer. I followed her advice to steam the leave of the head of broccoli. (Yes, our broccoli looks like "real" broccoli; I didn't believe it at first either.) The greens were a bit bitter, which I enjoyed but FD did not.

I love how pretty it all looked on the china, though.

Yes, I'm going to brag.

Damn, this meal I made was the bomb. I will make it again when I need an ego boost.

Have Your Cake & Eat It Too

For FD's 30th birthday celebration with our families he requested this giraffe cake (photo) from his childhood.

It was as tasty as it was cute.

For his birthday dinner we had a array of apps from Paula Deen's 7-layer Mexican dip to bacon-wrapped cream cheese stuffed hot peppers that were seared on the grill.

For dinner we had Rz wild duck (mallards, woodies, and gadwalls) with marinated flank steak, a spinach pasta salad, a 24-hour layered picnic salad (photo), fresh fruit, garlic cheese bread, and local corn on the cob.

Dessert consisted of the giraffe cake and a Stained Glass Cake.

The only things better than the food, of course, were the company and the cause for such a celebration. Lucky FD who gets multiple birthday dinners throughout the month of August.

24-hour Layered Picnic Salad (combination of mother-in-law's recipe & Cook's Illustrated with notes)

Salad:

6 c. lettuce chopped (I used Bibb from local farmer)

1 t. salt

1 small red onion, halved and sliced thinly

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1 c. frozen peas

3 small radishes

3 small mild peppers

3 small cucumbers, halved, seeded, and sliced

6 small carrots, sliced thinly or shredded.

1 lb bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

2 c. bleu cheese

Dressing:

1 1/2 cup Mayo (NOT Miracle Whip)

3 T cider vinegar

1 T hot sauce

2 t sugar

1 1/2 t black pepper

Directions: Place 1/2 of lettuce in bottom of a very deep glass bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 t salt. Layer onion, eggs, and radishes. Then add 1 c. of frozen peas. (Make sure peas are still frozen; basically you want the peas in the middle of the salad to keep it cold.) Layer peppers, cukes, and carrots. Add remaining lettuce, sprinkle with 1/2 t salt. Top with bacon and cheese.

For dressing combine all ingredients in a bowl then spread evenly over top of the salad.

Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 8 hours up to 24 hours.

To serve, remove plastic wrap and toss until salad is evenly coated with dressing.

Note: Feel free to substitute different veggies for the ones you know your family likes as well as cheese. Depending on how much you like heat feel free to add more or less hot sauce to the dressing. Serves about 12.

Dinner: Burgers with Blue Potato Oven Fries & Eggplant Sautee

Thursday I picked up these vibrant miniature eggplants and some

fantastic blue potatoes at the Perrysburg Farmers Market, and FD picked up some goregous green tomatillos, which he used to make a fantastic salsa, which became the condiment for his burger.

While FD manned the grill and oversaw the burgers, I oven-roasted the potatoes in olive oil, cumin, and paprika, and I sauteed the eggplants, some butto

n mushrooms, onions, and green beans in olive oil and garlic.

The sautee was spontaneous, so I need to make some revisions. I would add the minature eggplants in the last couple of minutes with the green beans so there was more crunch, and I think I would cube them rather than slice them the next time I make this dish. A little parm grated on top would have livened them up a bit too.

The hunt for eggplant-based recipes begins.

Dear baby eggplants, I have a feeling we are going to become fast friends.

Dinner: Top Chef Masters, which, we were thrilled to see, had a burger quickfire challenge! A perfect match for our burger dinner.

Clean-up: She & Him in honor of Zooey Deschanel's appearance on Top Chef Masters.

Dinner: I Don't Feel Like Eff'ing Making It

Tonight I came home from work and just felt tired, achy, and ready for a meal--out!

But our fridge is packed and we gave up fast food several years ago after reading Fast Food Nation.

And while I sometimes crave Taco Bell so badly that I actually go there and sit in the parking lot, I can never bring myself to order a seven-layer burrito, nachos bell grande and a side of beans with extra cheese. Yes, fast food is easy, convenient and perfect for those nights when you just want to drink wine, watch tv, and veg, but I just can't bring myself to actually order and eat fast food. I haven't eaten fast food in over two years. To break that promise now would be like smoking after quitting for a decade.

In the fridge I have food...and I know where it came from. That food is organic. It's truly nutritious. It has a history, a story. And I paid for that food and it should be eaten so it doesn't spoil.

In a bad mood I began slicing eggplant and zucchini while FD prepared snap peas, chopped onion, and minced garlic.

The teamwork cheered me up a little. FD probably would emphasize "a little."

The end result cheered me up even more. Even more than Taco Bell could have.

Goddamn-It-I-Don't-Feel-Like-Cooking Eggplant Bake (recipe from the British gardener at the BG Farmer's Market with a few revisions)

Ingredients:

2 eggplants (or 1 eggplant and 1 zucchini), peeled and cut into 1/4 in slices

1 lb ground lamb (or beef)

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 T butter

4 t flour

1/4 t salt

Dash pepper

3/4 c skim milk

3 T grated parm cheese

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large skillet cook the eggplant (if using zucchini, don't cook it now!) in 1/2 in boiling water, covered, about 6 minutes (but less time if only using one eggplant). Drain.

In the same skillet brown the ground lamb, onion, and garlic until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 min. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare sauce. In a small saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Stir in skim milk all at once. Bring to boil while stirring consistently until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside.

Spray a 10x6x2 baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange half the eggplant in dish (or if using zucchini, arrange raw sliced zucchini in dish first). Spoon meat mixture atop, then top with remaining eggplant. Pour sauce over all ingredients. Sprinkle with parm.

Bake, uncovered in 325 oven for 30 minutes. Optional: before serving sprinkle fresh herbs; basil is perfect, but chives and oregano work well too. Serve.

Playing: Bill Evans and Jim Hall's Undercurrent.

Dinner: Vension Steaks with Herbed Potatoes & Beans

Venison steaks from a family friend with a red wine reduction and herbed heirloom potatoes--both herbs and potatoes from Homestead Gardens--and green beans from BG Farmers Market.

Teamwork: it's how FD and I cook. He was on the venison & I was on the veggies.

As awesome as this meal was I want to quickly note a few revisions I would make:

Cook reduction a bit longer and the venison a bit shorter. Separate the veggies--to cook, simply stem, add butter and parsley, mint, chives, and basil--from the meat. Roast the potatoes after steaming. Add more rosemary to the venison meat.

What to keep the same: WINE, ingredients, china (Kate Spade Gramercy Park), company (FD, my fav foodie companion for life), and music (Hank Williams: cooking & dinner; The Amps: dish washing.)

(Dan just rushed in my office, saying, "Everything we cooked tonight was Ohio based, except for the flour, wine, and vegetable oil." We don't count our Spanish Blood Orange EVOO because we buy it from the Olive Tap in Medina, Ohio with thanks to my sis-in-law Tra. If we broke down the cost, we don't have a meat cost and with the veggies we got about 4 servings, which would be about $.75 per person. Not bad, especially when the majority of the profit goes to local farmers! Oh, and FD simmered the reduction for 5 more minutes and it was perfect. Still learning; as G.I. Joe would say, "Knowing is half the battle!")

* To keep it "everyday" photos are taken with my iPhone. No fancy photography, just quick snapshots, then on to the eating.